Bolbitis heudelotii (Bory ex Fee ) Alston, J. Bot. 72 (Suppl. 2): 3 (1934)

Kuetegue, Felix, Sonke, Bonaventure & Ameka, Gabriel K., 2019, A checklist of rheophytes of Cameroon, PhytoKeys 121, pp. 81-131 : 81

Bolbitis heudelotii (Bory ex Fee) Alston, J. Bot. 72 (Suppl. 2): 3 (1934)

Gymnopteris heudelotii Bory ex Fée, Mém. Foug., 2. Hist. Acrostich. 84: 45, t. 45 (1845)

Leptochilus heudelotii (Bory ex Fée) C.Chr., Index Filic. 11, 385 (1905)

Type.

Guinea Conakry, Fouta Djallon, in herb Bory, Heudelot 803 (holotype: P).

Description.

Herbaceous, rhizome thick with dark brown scales and creeping on rocks; numerous roots; sterile fronds 30-80 cm long, linear to elliptical; fertile fronds 25-100 cm, long, linear, abaxial surface with sporangia.

Specimens examined.

Pangar River, at Tapare (Dang Assoura), 5°22'N, 13°31'E, 11 Feb 1961, R. Letouzey 3452 (YA); Maan, 24 km southeast of Nyabesan, 00 Feb 1963, J. & A. Raynal 10264 (YA); East of Kribi on Kienke River, 2°56'N, 9°55'E, 05 Apr 1969, J. J. Bos 4282 (YA); Limbe at Limbe River, 4°2'N, 9°12'E, 13 Jan 2011, F. Kuetegue 412, 414 (YA).

Habitat.

Riverbeds of perennial streams; edge of waterfalls; seasonally flooded in swift-flowing rivers or streams, able to withstand spate; in rainforest.

Distribution.

Widespread in tropical Africa. Angola, Benin, Cameroon (Fig. 3 ), Central African Republic, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Conservation status in Cameroon.

Bolbitis heudelotii is not listed on http://www.iucnredlist.org nor in Onana and Cheek (2011). The extent of occurrence of this species is about 102,900 km2 with an area of occupancy of about 32 km2. The species is currently known from 8 localities. The main pressures on the habitats are logging; dam construction (i.e. Lom-Pangar Hydro-electric dam, between Lom and Pangar) and expansion of cocoa farms. Based on these threats, extent and/or quality of habitat B. heudelotii is here assessed as Vulnerable. IUCN Red List Category: Vulnerable VUB2ab (ii, iii).

Figures

Figures 2 - 10. 2 Bolbitis fluviatilis (Hook.) Ching 3 Bolbitis heudelotii (Bory ex Fee) Alston 4 Lepidagathis alopecuroides R. Br. ex Griseb. 5 Achyranthes talbotii Hutch & Daziel 6 Crinum natans Baker 7 Kanahia laniflora (Forssk.) R. Br. 8 Anubias barteri Schott 9 Cyperus rheophyticus Lye 10 Cyperus tonkinensis C. B. Clarke var. baikiei (C. B. Clarke ex Kuk) S. S. Hooper.